1:40PM - 2:05PM
DEBUNKING THE CONSULTING MYTHS
GETTING OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY.
KATIE IRVING IN CONVERSATION WITH BOARD MEMBERS : CAROLINE ROTHWELL GERSTEIN, KRISTEN PALMER BASTIAN, & GINA GRETCHKO
MEET THE PANEL
MODERATOR
KATIE IRVING
Future of Retail | Fashion Trend Forecasting | Consumer Insights | Product Strategy
Katie Irving is the Founder of Moonshot, an insight agency shaping the future of fashion through unparalleled forecasting and consumer insights.
Formerly the Consulting Director of Fashion at WGSN, Katie works directly with global brands and retailers, leading best-in-class advisory projects that identify growth opportunities by leveraging unrivaled insights and the power of data.
For more than a decade, Katie was the Senior Director of Concept at Abercrombie & Fitch where she was instrumental in the company’s shift towards inclusivity and customer-centricity, forecasting and executing industry-leading initiatives including gender-neutral apparel and brand positioning for Hollister and Abercrombie Kids.
CAROLINE ROTHWELL GERSTEIN
Super Vision | Relationship Building | Creative Thinking | Technical Skills | Team Leadership GTM Strategy | Communications
As a creative and results-driven marketing executive, I have propelled brands to global recognition. With a talent for building strong teams and uncovering brand DNA, I drive revenue growth and craft powerful stories.
From being a signed musician to becoming a VP of International Marketing, an e-commerce and tech start-up founder, and CEO of a fashion marketing and consulting agency, my diverse experiences have shaped my ability to empower entrepreneurs, forge strategic partnerships, and drive growth.
I actively engage with TheBoard community, sharing insights with industry leaders and building business together. Exploring the intersection of technology, fashion, and sustainability drives my passion. I am eager to join dream teams, inspire companies, and unlock their market potential through powerful storytelling.
My personal goals include launching a podcast, living harmoniously with nature on my own land, creating beauty in everything around me, and continuously growing both professionally and personally to serve in the evolving digital world.
KRISTEN PALMER BASTIAN
CMO Services | Brand Strategy | Leadership | Brand Growth & Scale | Executive Advisor | Team Effectiveness | Former Amazon
Kristen Palmer Bastian is the founder of T. Parlour Agency, a boutique marketing and strategy consultancy. She is a dynamic and magnetic marketing expert with a talent for growing brands through fresh ideas, data and insights, creativity, and know-how.
Kristen draws on 20 years of expertise, including leading marketing organizations at Amazon and growing brand portfolios within the CPG industry. She has delivered billions of dollars in incremental revenue through large-scale marketing strategies, launched affiliate and influencer programs, created celebrity partnerships, expanded social communities to millions of followers, and built successful marketing teams.
She has a passion for mentoring and developing marketing talent. Kristen’s superpowers are: Brand Vision, Thought Leadership, Marketing Strategy, Inspiring Teams, Community and Connection.
GINA GRETCHKO
Fractional CMO | Brand Strategy | Content Strategy & Storytelling | Social Media Pioneer
After dedicating a dozen years to social media marketing for Fortune 50 companies (PepsiCo, Disney) and European luxury houses (LVMH, Kering, Richemont, Chanel) Gina Gretchko launched her own consultancy which helps brands articulate their unique positioning and scale content strategies to execution.
Most recently, Gina built a best-in-class social media practice from the ground up for Saks Fifth Avenue and HBC (Saks OFF 5th, Lord & Taylor, Gilt Groupe, Hudson’s Bay). There, she partnered with executive leadership to introduce full-funnel strategy, develop omni storytelling, establish cross-functional relationships, as well as education and trust within the legacy multi-brand retailers and their high-profile vendors.
Skilled in synthesizing brand strategies into compelling narratives, Gina personally secured partnerships and produced custom content with Virgil Abloh, Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, Gabriella Hearst, Wes Gordon, Stella McCartney, Phillip Lim, and Donatella Versace among many other designers and creative directors across advanced, designer, and contemporary categories. Her editorial direction and on-the-ground coverage for 15 New York and European Fashion Weeks exceeded platform benchmarks and were emulated competitively.